Iberians, roughwy wocated in de Souf and East, and Cewts in de Norf and West of de Iberian Peninsuwa were de major earwiest groups in what is now Spain (a dird, so-cawwed Cewtiberian cuwture seems to have devewoped in de inner part of de Peninsuwa, where bof groups were in contact).

Ruins of a Roman garum factory near Tarifa, Spain

Cardaginians and Greeks awso traded wif Spain and estabwished deir own cowonies on de coast. Spain's mineraw weawf and access to metaws made it an important source of raw materiaw during de earwy metaw ages. Cardage conqwered parts of Iberia after de First Punic War. After defeating Cardage in de Second Punic War, de Romans governed aww of de Iberian Peninsuwa for centuries, expanding and diversifying de economy and extending Hispanic trade wif de greater Repubwic and Empire.

Whiwe most of western Europe feww into a Dark Age after de decwine of de Roman Empire, dose kingdoms in de Iberian Peninsuwa dat today are known as Spain maintained deir economy.[citation needed] First, de Visigods repwaced de Roman imperiaw administrators (an internationaw cwass at de top echewons). They estabwished demsewves as nobiwity. The kingdom had some degree of centrawized power at deir capitaw, which was eventuawwy moved to Towedo from Touwouse. The Roman municipaw and provinciaw governorships continued but de imperiaw superstructure of diocese and prefecture was of course compwetewy gone as dere was no need for it: dese had existed to coordinate imperiaw defense and provide uniform administrative oversight, and symbowized as noding ewse, except de professionaw army, de presence of de Roman, uh-hah-hah-hah. Though it suffered some decwine, most Roman waw and much physicaw infrastructure such as roads, bridges, aqweducts and irrigation systems, was maintained to varying degrees unwike de compwete disintegration dat occurred in most oder former parts of de western empire wif de exception of parts of Itawy. Later, when de Moors occupied warge parts of de Iberian Peninsuwa awongside de Cadowic kingdoms, dey awso maintained much of dis Roman wegacy; in fact as time went on dey had Roman infrastructure repaired and extended. Meanwhiwe, in de countryside, where most peopwe had awways wived, wife went on much as it had in Roman times, but wif improvements due to de repair and extension of irrigation systems, and de introduction of novew crops and agricuwturaw practices from de Iswamic worwd. Whiwe trade dwindwed in most of de former Roman wands in Europe, trade survived to some degree in Visigodic Spain, and fwourished under de Moors drough de integration of Aw-Andawus (Moorish Spain) wif de Mediterranean trade of de Iswamic worwd. After 800 years of intermittent warring, de Cadowic kingdoms had graduawwy become more powerfuw and sophisticated and eventuawwy expewwed aww de Moors from de Peninsuwa.

The Kingdom of Castiwe, united wif de Kingdom of Aragon, had merchant navies dat rivawed dat of de Hanseatic League and Venice. Like de rest of wate medievaw Europe, restrictive guiwds cwosewy reguwated aww aspects of de economy-production, trade, and even transport. The most powerfuw of dese corporations, de mesta, controwwed de production of woow, Castiwe's chief export.

The Archivo Generaw de Indias now howds aww de records of de Counciw of de Indies and served as de center for commerciaw administration in de Spanish Empire after its compwetion in 1598 (Archives right, Cadedraw weft)

The Reconqwista awwowed de Cadowic Monarchs to divert deir attention to expworation, uh-hah-hah-hah. In 1492, Pope Awexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia, a Vawencian) formawwy approved de division of de unexpwored worwd between kingdoms of what is today Spain and Portugaw. New discoveries and conqwests came in qwick succession, uh-hah-hah-hah.

In 1492, when Christopher Cowumbus brought 1,500 cowonists wif him on his second voyage, a royaw administrator had awready been appointed for what de Cadowic kingdoms referred to as de Indies. The Counciw of de Indies (Consejo de Indias), estabwished in 1524 acted as an advisory board on cowoniaw affairs, and de House of Trade (Casa de Contratación) reguwated trade wif de cowonies.

The port of Seviwwe in de 1500s. Originawwy, aww trade wif de cowonies in de Americas was reqwired to go drough dis port.

Fowwowing de discovery of America and de cowoniaw expansion in de Caribbean and Continentaw America, vawuabwe agricuwturaw products and mineraw resources were introduced into Spain drough reguwar trade routes. New products such as potatoes, tomatoes and corn had a wong-wasting impact on de Spanish economy, but more importantwy on European demographics. Gowd and siwver buwwion from American mines were used by de Spanish Crown to pay for troops in de Nederwands and Itawy, to maintain de emperor's forces in Germany and ships at sea, and to satisfy increasing consumer demand at home. However, de warge vowumes of precious metaws from America wed to infwation, which had a negative effect on de poorer part of de popuwation, as goods became overpriced. This awso hampered exports, as expensive goods couwd not compete in internationaw markets. Moreover, de warge cash infwows from siwver hindered de industriaw devewopment in Spain as entrepreneurship seems to be indispensabwe.[1]

Domestic production was heaviwy taxed, driving up prices for Aragon and Castiwe-made goods, but especiawwy in Castiwe where de tax burden was greater. The sawe of titwes to entrepreneurs who bought deir way up de sociaw wadder (a practice commonwy found aww over Europe), removing demsewves from de productive sector of de economy, provided additionaw funds.

The overaww effect of pwague and emigration reduced peninsuwar Spain's popuwation from over 8 miwwion in de wast years of de 16f century to under 7 miwwion by de mid-17f century, wif Castiwe de most severewy affected region (85% of de Kingdom's popuwation were in Castiwe), as an exampwe, in 1500, Castiwe 6 miwwion, and 1.25 miwwion in de Kingdom of Aragon which incwuded Catawonia, Vawencian and de Bawearic Iswands.

A swow economic recovery began in de wast decades of de 17f century under de Habsburgs. Under de Bourbons, government efficiency was improved, especiawwy under Charwes III's reign, uh-hah-hah-hah. The Bourbon reforms, however, resuwted in no basic changes in de pattern of property howding. The nature of bourgeois cwass consciousness in Aragon and Castiwe hindered de creation of a middwe-cwass movement. At de instance of wiberaw dinkers incwuding Campomanes, various groups known as "Economic Societies of friends of de Country" were formed to promote economic devewopment, new advances in de sciences, and Enwightenment phiwosophy (see Sociedad Económica de wos Amigos dew País). However, despite de devewopment of a nationaw bureaucracy in Madrid, de reform movement couwd not be sustained widout de patronage of Charwes III, and it did not survive him.

Spain's American cowonies took advantage of de postwar chaos to procwaim deir independence. By 1825 onwy Cuba and Puerto Rico remained under de Spanish fwag in de New Worwd. When Ferdinand VII was restored to de drone in 1813 and expended weawf and manpower in a vain effort to reassert controw over de cowonies. The move was unpopuwar among wiberaw officers assigned to de American wars.

The economy was heaviwy focused around agricuwturaw goods. The period saw regionaw industriawization in Catawonia and de Basqwe Country and de construction of raiwways in de second hawf of de nineteenf century hewped awweviate some of de isowation of de interior but generawwy wittwe changed for much of de country as powiticaw instabiwity, uprisings and unstabwe governments swowed or undermined economic progress.

At de beginning of de 20f century, Spain was stiww mostwy ruraw; modern industry existed onwy in de textiwe miwws around Barcewona in Catawonia and in de metawwurgicaw pwants of de Basqwe provinces. The woss of Cuba and de Phiwippines benefited de Peninsuwa by causing capitaw to return and to be invested in updated domestic industries. But even wif de stimuwus of Worwd War I, onwy in Catawonia and in two Basqwe provinces (Biscay and Guipuscoa) did de vawue of manufacturing output in 1920 exceed dat of agricuwturaw production, uh-hah-hah-hah. Agricuwturaw productivity was generawwy wow compared wif dat of oder West European countries because of a number of deficiencies: backward technowogy, wack of warge irrigation projects, inadeqwate ruraw credit faciwities, outmoded wandtenure practices, as weww as de age owd probwems of difficuwt terrain, unrewiabwe cwimate, isowation and difficuwt transportation in de rugged interior. Financiaw institutions were rewativewy undevewoped. The Bank of Spain (Banco de España) was stiww privatewy owned, and its pubwic functions were restricted to currency issuance and de provision of funds for state activities. The state wargewy wimited itsewf to such traditionaw activities as defense and de maintenance of order and justice. Road buiwding, education, and a few wewfare activities were de onwy pubwic services dat had any appreciabwe impact on de economy.

A Generaw, Miguew Primo de Rivera, was appointed prime minister by de king after a successfuw coup d'etat and for seven years dissowved parwiament and ruwed drough directorates and de aid of de miwitary untiw 1930.

Protectionism, de Spanish neutrawity during Worwd War I (which awwowed de country to trade wif aww bewwigerents) and state controw of de economy wed to a temporary economic recovery. The precipitous economic decwine in 1930 undercut support for de government from speciaw-interest groups. Criticism from academics mounted. Bankers expressed disappointment at de state woans dat his government had tried to fwoat. An attempt to reform de promotion system cost him de support of de army and, in turn, de support of de king. Primo de Rivera resigned and died shortwy afterward in exiwe.

The repubwican government substituted de monarchy and inherited de internationaw economic crisis as weww. Three different governments ruwed during de Second Spanish Repubwic, faiwing to execute numerous reforms, incwuding wand reform. Generaw strikes were common and de economy stagnated.

During de Spanish Civiw War, de country spwit into two different centrawized economies, and de whowe economic effort was redirected to de war industry. According to recent research,[2] growf is harmed during civiw wars due to de huge contraction on private investment, and such was de case wif de Spanish divided economy.

Spain emerged from de civiw war wif formidabwe economic probwems. Gowd and foreign exchange reserves had been virtuawwy wiped out, de massive devastation of war had reduced de productive capacity of bof industry and agricuwture. To compound de difficuwties, even if de wherewidaw had existed to purchase imports, de outbreak of Worwd War II rendered many needed suppwies unavaiwabwe. The end of de war did not improve Spain's pwight because of subseqwent gwobaw shortages of raw materiaws, and peacetime industriaw products. Spain's European neighbours faced formidabwe post-war reconstruction probwems of deir own, and, because of deir awareness dat de Nationawist victory in de Spanish Civiw War had been achieved wif de hewp of Adowf Hitwer and Benito Mussowini, dey had no incwination to incwude Spain in any muwtiwateraw recovery programs or trade. For a decade fowwowing de Civiw War's end in 1939, de wrecked and isowated economy remained in a state of severe depression.

Branded an internationaw outcast for its pro-Axis bias during Worwd War II, Spain was not invited to join de Marshaww Pwan. Francisco Franco's regime sought to provide for Spain's weww-being by adopting a powicy of economic sewf-sufficiency. Autarky was not merewy a reaction to internationaw isowation; it was awso rooted in more dan hawf a century of advocacy from domestic economic pressure groups. Furdermore, from 1939 to 1945, Spain's miwitary chiefs genuinewy feared an Awwied invasion of de Peninsuwa and, derefore, sought to avert excessive rewiance on foreign armaments.

Wif de war devastation and trade isowation, Spain was much more economicawwy backward in de 1940s dan it had been a decade earwier. Infwation soared, economic reconstruction fawtered, food was scarce, and, in some years, Spain registered negative growf rates. By de earwy 1950s, per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was barewy 40% of de average for West European countries. Then, after a decade of economic stagnation, a tripwing of prices, de growf of a bwack market, and widespread deprivation, graduaw improvement began to take pwace. The regime took its first fawtering steps toward abandoning its pretensions of sewf-sufficiency and towards a transformation of Spain's economic system. Pre-Civiw War industriaw production wevews were regained in de earwy 1950s, dough agricuwturaw output remained bewow prewar wevews untiw 1958.

A furder impetus to economic wiberawization came from de September 1953 signing of a mutuaw defense agreement, de Pact of Madrid, between de United States and Spain, uh-hah-hah-hah. In return for permitting de estabwishment of United States miwitary bases on Spanish soiw, de administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower administration provided substantiaw economic aid to de Franco regime. More dan US$1 biwwion in economic assistance fwowed into Spain during de remainder of de decade as a resuwt of de agreement. Between 1953 and 1958, Spain's gross nationaw product (GNP) rose by about 5% per annum.

The years from 1951 to 1956 were marked by much economic progress, but de reforms of de period were impwemented irreguwarwy, and were poorwy coordinated. One warge obstacwe to de reform process was de corrupt, inefficient, and bwoated bureaucracy. By de mid-1950s, de infwationary spiraw had resumed its upward cwimb, and foreign currency reserves dat had stood at US$58 miwwion in 1958 pwummeted to US$6 miwwion by mid-1959. The growing demands of de emerging middwe cwass—and of de ever-greater number of tourists—for de amenities of wife, particuwarwy for higher nutritionaw standards, pwaced heavy demands on imported food and wuxury items. At de same time, exports wagged, wargewy because of high domestic demand and institutionaw restraints on foreign trade. The peseta feww to an aww-time wow on de bwack market, and Spain's foreign currency obwigations grew to awmost US$60 miwwion, uh-hah-hah-hah.

A debate took pwace widin de regime over strategies for extricating de country from its economic impasse, and Franco finawwy opted in favor of a group of neowiberaws. The group incwuded bankers, industriaw executives, some academic economists, and members of de Roman Cadowic way organization, Opus Dei.

During de 1957-59 period, known as de pre-stabiwization years, economic pwanners contented demsewves wif piecemeaw measures such as moderate anti-infwationary stopgaps and increases in Spain's winks wif de worwd economy. A combination of externaw devewopments and an increasingwy aggravated domestic economic crisis, however, forced dem to engage in more far- reaching changes.

As de need for a change in economic powicy became manifest in de wate 1950s, an overhauw of de Counciw of Ministers in February 1957 brought to de key ministries a group of younger men, most of whom possessed economics training and experience. This reorganization was qwickwy fowwowed by de estabwishment of a committee on economic affairs and de Office of Economic Coordination and Pwanning under de prime minister.

Such administrative changes were important steps in ewiminating de chronic rivawries dat existed among economic ministries. Oder reforms fowwowed, de principaw one being de adoption of a corporate tax system dat reqwired de confederation of each industriaw sector to awwocate an appropriate share of de entire industry's tax assessment to each member firm. Chronic tax evasion was conseqwentwy made more difficuwt, and tax cowwection receipts rose sharpwy. Togeder wif curbs on government spending, in 1958 dis reform created de first government surpwus in many years.

More drastic remedies were reqwired as Spain's isowation from de rest of Western Europe became exacerbated. Neighboring states were in de process of estabwishing de EC and de European Free Trade Association (EFTA—see Gwossary). In de process of wiberawizing trade among deir members, dese organizations found it difficuwt to estabwish economic rewations wif countries wedded to trade qwotas and biwateraw agreements, such as Spain, uh-hah-hah-hah.

Spanish membership in dese groups was not powiticawwy possibwe, but Spain was invited to join a number of oder internationaw institutions. In January 1958, Spain became an associate member of de Organisation for European Economic Co- operation (OEEC), which became de Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Devewopment (OECD) in September 1961. In 1959 Spain joined de Internationaw Monetary Fund (IMF) and de Worwd Bank. These bodies immediatewy became invowved in hewping Spain to abandon de autarkicaw trade practices dat had brought its reserves to such wow wevews and dat were isowating its economy from de rest of Europe.

In December 1958, after seven monds of preparation and drafting, aided by IMF, Spain unveiwed its Stabiwization Pwan on June 30, 1959. The pwan's objectives were twofowd: to take de necessary fiscaw and monetary measures reqwired to restrict demand and to contain infwation, whiwe, at de same time, wiberawizing foreign trade and encouraging foreign investment. The pwan's initiaw effect was defwationary and recessionary, weading to a drop in reaw income and to a rise in unempwoyment during its first year. The resuwtant economic swump and reduced wages wed approximatewy 500,000 Spanish workers to emigrate in search of better job opportunities in oder West European countries. Nonedewess, its main goaws were achieved. The pwan enabwed Spain to avert a possibwe suspension of payments abroad to foreign banks howding Spanish currency, and by de cwose of 1959 Spain's foreign exchange account showed a US$100-miwwion surpwus. Foreign capitaw investment grew sevenfowd between 1958 and 1960, and de annuaw infwux of tourists began to rise rapidwy, bringing in very much needed foreign exchange awong remittances from Spanish workers abroad.

As dese devewopments steadiwy converted Spain's economic structure into one more cwosewy resembwing a free-market economy, de country entered de greatest cycwe of industriawization and prosperity it had ever known, uh-hah-hah-hah. Foreign aid took de form of US$75 miwwion in drawing rights from de IMF, US$100 miwwion in OEEC credits, US$70 miwwion in commerciaw credits from de Chase Manhattan Bank and de First Nationaw City Bank, US$30 miwwion from de Export-Import Bank of de United States, and funds from United States aid programs. Totaw foreign backing amounted to US$420 miwwion, uh-hah-hah-hah. The principaw wubricants of de economic expansion, however, were de hard currency remittances of one miwwion Spanish workers abroad, which are estimated to have offset 17.9% of de totaw trade deficit from 1962 to 1971; de gigantic increase in tourism dat drew more dan 20 miwwion visitors per year by de end of de 1960s, accounting by den for 9% of GNP; a car industry dat grew at a staggering compound rate of 21.7% per year from 1958 to 1972; and direct foreign investment, which between 1960 and 1974 amounted to an impressive US$7.6 biwwion, uh-hah-hah-hah. More dan 40% of dis investment came from de United States, awmost 17% came from Switzerwand, and de Federaw Repubwic of Germany and France each accounted for swightwy more dan 10%. By 1975 foreign capitaw represented 12.4% of de totaw invested in Spain's 500 wargest industriaw firms. More important dan de actuaw size of de foreign investment was de access it gave Spanish companies to up to date technowogy. An additionaw biwwion dowwars came from foreign sources drough a variety of woans and credit devices.

SEAT 850 Sport, 1967. SEAT became a symbow of de "Spanish Miracwe", 1959-1974.

To hewp achieve rapid devewopment, dere was massive government investment drough key state owned companies wike de nationaw industriaw congwomerate Instituto Nacionaw de Industria, de mass market car company SEAT in Barcewona, de shipbuiwder Empresa Nacionaw Bazán. Wif foreign access to de Spanish domestic market restricted by heavy tariffs and qwotas, dese nationaw companies wed de industriawisation of de country, restoring de prosperity of owd industriaw areas wike Barcewona and Biwbao and creating new industriaw areas, most notabwy around Madrid. Awdough dere was considerabwe economic wiberawisation in de period dese enterprises remained under state controw.

The success of de stabiwization program was attributabwe to a combination of good wuck and good management and de impressive devewopment during dis period was referred to as de "Spanish miracwe". Between 1959 and 1974, Spain had de next fastest economic growf rate after Japan. The boom came to an end wif de oiw shocks of de 1970s and government instabiwity during de transition back to democracy after Franco's deaf in 1975.

Franco's deaf in 1975 and de ensuing transition to democratic ruwe diverted Spaniards' attention from deir economy. The return to democracy coincided wif an expwosive qwadrupwing of oiw prices, which had an extremewy serious effect on de economy because Spain imported 70% of its energy, mostwy in de form of Middwe Eastern oiw. Nonedewess, de interim centrist government of Adowfo Suarez Gonzawez, which had been named to succeed de Franco regime by King Juan Carwos, did wittwe to shore up de economy or even to reduce Spain's dependence on imported oiw, awdough dere was wittwe dat couwd be done as de country had wittwe in de way of hydrocarbon deposits. A virtuawwy excwusive preoccupation wif de powitics of democratization during de powiticawwy and sociawwy unstabwe period when de new constitution was drafted and enacted, absorbed most of Spain's powitics and administration at de expense of economic powicy.

Because of de faiwure to adjust to de changed economic environment brought on by de two oiw price shocks of de 1970s, Spain qwickwy confronted pwummeting productivity, an expwosive increase in wages from 1974 to 1976, a reversaw of migration trends as a resuwt of de economic swump droughout Western Europe, and de steady outfwow of wabor from agricuwturaw areas despite decwining job prospects in de cities. Aww dese factors contributed to a sharp rise in de unempwoyment rate. Government budgetary deficits swewwed, as did warge sociaw security cost overruns and de huge operating wosses incurred by a number of pubwic-sector industries. Energy consumption, meanwhiwe, remained high.

When de Spanish Sociawist Workers' Party government headed by Fewipe Gonzáwez took office in wate 1982, infwation was running at an annuaw rate of 16%, de externaw current account was US$4 biwwion in arrears, pubwic spending was warge, and foreign exchange reserves had become dangerouswy depweted. In coping wif de situation, however, de Gonzawez government had one asset dat no previous post-Franco government had enjoyed, namewy, a sowid parwiamentary majority in bof houses of de Cortes (Spanish Parwiament). Wif dis majority, it was abwe to undertake unpopuwar austerity measures dat earwier governments had not.

The Sociawist government opted for pragmatic, ordodox monetary and fiscaw powicies, togeder wif a series of vigorous retrenchment measures. In 1983 it unveiwed a program dat provided a more coherent and wong-term approach to de country's economic iwws. Renovative structuraw powicies—such as de cwosing of warge, unprofitabwe state enterprises—hewped to correct de rewativewy poor performance of de economy. The government waunched an industriaw reconversion program, brought de probwem-ridden sociaw security system into better bawance, and introduced a more efficient energy-use powicy. Labor market fwexibiwity was improved, and private capitaw investment was encouraged wif incentives.

By 1985 de budgetary deficit was brought down to 5% of GNP, and it dropped to 4.5% in 1986. Reaw wage growf was contained, and it was generawwy kept bewow de rate of infwation, uh-hah-hah-hah. Infwation was reduced to 4.5% in 1987, and anawysts bewieved it might decrease to de government's goaw of 3% in 1988.

Efforts to modernize and to expand de economy togeder wif a number of factors fostered strong economic growf in de 1980s. Those factors were de continuing faww in oiw prices, increased tourism, and a massive upsurge in de infwow of foreign investment. Thus, despite de fact dat de economy was being exposed to foreign competition in accordance wif EC reqwirements, de Spanish economy underwent rapid expansion widout experiencing bawance of payments' constraints.

In de words of de OECD's 1987-88 survey of de Spanish economy, "fowwowing a protracted period of swuggish growf wif swow progress in winding down infwation during de wate 1970s and de first hawf of de 1980s, de Spanish economy has entered a phase of vigorous expansion of output and empwoyment accompanied by a marked swowdown of infwation, uh-hah-hah-hah."[3] In 1981 Spain's GDP growf rate had reached a nadir by registering a rate of negative 0.2%; it den graduawwy resumed its swow upward ascent wif increases of 1.2% in 1982, 1.8% in 1983, 1.9% in 1984, and 2.1% in 1985. The fowwowing year, however, Spain's reaw GDP began to grow strongwy, registering a growf rate of 3.3% in 1986 and 5.5% in 1987. Awdough dese growf rates were wess dan dose of de economic miracwe years, dey were among de strongest of de OECD. Anawysts projected a rise of 3.8% in 1988 and of 3.5% in 1989, a swight decwine but stiww roughwy doubwe de EC average. They expected dat decwining interest rates and de government's stimuwative budget wouwd hewp sustain economic expansion, uh-hah-hah-hah. Industriaw output, which rose by 3.1% in 1986 and by 5.2% in 1987, was awso expected to maintain its expansive rate, growing by 3.8% in 1988 and by 3.7% in 1989.

A prime force generating rapid economic growf was increased domestic demand, which grew by a steep 6% in 1986 and by 4.8% in 1987, in bof years exceeding officiaw projections. During 1988 and 1989, anawysts expected demand to remain strong, dough at swightwy wower wevews. Much of de warge increase in demand was met in 1987 by an estimated 20% jump in reaw terms in imports of goods and services.

In de mid-1980s, Spain achieved a strong wevew of economic performance whiwe simuwtaneouswy wowering its rate of infwation to widin two points of de EC average. However, its export performance, dough increasing, raised concerns over de existing imbawance between import and export growf.

After Franco's deaf in 1975, de country returned to democracy in de form of a constitutionaw monarchy in 1978, wif ewections being hewd in 1977 and wif de constitution being ratified in 1978. The move to democracy saw Spain become more invowved wif de European integration.

The European Union at de time Spain joined, in 1986, existed primariwy as a trading union - de EEC, and better trade winks were vitaw to de fragiwe Spanish economy. Unempwoyment was high, about 18 percent, and de Spanish GDP was 71 percent of de EU average. The singwe market and European funding offered a chance to bring de Spanish economy up to de standards of de rest of Western Europe, awong wif de support of Spain's weawdier neighbors. There was de promise of wucrative deaws wif infwuentiaw countries such as Germany, France and de UK.

Awdough de Spanish Miracwe years (1959–1974) witnessed unprecedented improvements in infrastructure and sociaw services, Spain stiww wagged behind most of Western Europe. Education was wimited, women were wargewy excwuded from de workforce, heawf care was wargewy private and unevenwy distributed and de country's infrastructure was rewativewy poor. In 1985, Spain had onwy 2,100 km (1,300 mi) of motorways. Since de end of de economic miracwe in 1974, de country's economy had been stagnant. Joining de European Economic Community was perceived by most of de popuwation as a way to restart de process of modernization and improvement of de popuwation's average purchasing power.

Spain joined de European Economic Community, as de European Union was den known, in January 1986 at de same time as neighbor Portugaw. Membership ushered de country into opening its economy, modernizing its industriaw base and revising economic wegiswation to open its previouswy protected markets to foreign competition, uh-hah-hah-hah. Wif hewp of EU funds (Structuraw Funds and Cohesion Funds, European Regionaw Devewopment Fund, etc.) Spain greatwy improved infrastructures, increased GDP growf, reduced de pubwic debt to GDP ratio.
Spain has been a driving force in de European community ever since. The country was a weading proponent of de EU singwe currency, de euro, wong before it had been put into circuwation, uh-hah-hah-hah. Togeder wif de oder founding euro members, it adopted de new physicaw currency on January 1, 2002. On dat date Spain terminated its historic peseta currency and repwaced it wif de euro, which has become its nationaw currency shared de rest of de Eurozone. This cuwminated a fast process of economic modernization even dough de strengf of de euro since its adoption has raised concerns regarding de fact dat Spanish exports outside de European Union are being priced out of de range of foreign buyers, wif de country wosing monetary sovereignty in favour of de European Centraw Bank, which must wook after severaw different -often opposed- nationaw interests.

The country was confronted wif very high unempwoyment, entrenched by its den rigid wabour market. However de economy began to recover during de first José María Aznar administration (1996-2000), driven by a return of consumer confidence, increased private consumption and wiberawization and dereguwation reforms aiming to reduce de State's rowe in de market pwace. Unempwoyment at 7.6% (October 2006), represented a significant improvement from de 1980s wevews and a better rate dan de one of Germany or France at de time. Devawuations of de peseta during de 1990s made Spanish exports more competitive.
By de wate 1990s economic growf was strong, empwoyment grew strongwy, awdough unempwoyment remained high, as peopwe returned to de job market and confidence in de economy returned. The wast years of de 1990s saw property vawues begin to increase.

The Spanish economy was being credited for having avoided de virtuaw zero growf rate of some of its wargest partners in de EU (namewy France, Germany and Itawy) in de wate 90's and at de beginning of de 21st century. In 1995 Spain started an impressive economic cycwe marked by an outstanding economic growf, wif figures around 3%, often weww over dis rate.[4]

Growf in de decade prior to 2008 steadiwy cwosed de economic gap between Spain and its weading partners in de EU. For a moment, de Spanish economy was regarded as one of de most dynamic widin de EU, even abwe to repwace de weading rowe of much warger economies wike de ones of France and Germany, dus subseqwentwy attracting significant amounts of native and foreign investment.[5] Awso, during de period spanning from de mid 1980s drough de mid 2000s, Spain was second onwy to France in being de most successfuw OECD country in terms of reduced income ineqwawity over dis period.[6] Spain awso made great strides in integrating women into de workforce. From a position where de rowe of Spanish women in de wabour market in de earwy 1970s was simiwar to dat prevaiwing in de major European countries in de 1930s, by de 1990s Spain had achieved a modern European profiwe in terms of economic participation by women, uh-hah-hah-hah.[7]

Spain joined de Eurozone in 1999. Interest rates dropped and de property boom accewerated. By 2006 property prices had doubwed from a decade earwier. During dis time construction of apartments and houses increased at a record rate and immigration into Spain increased into de hundreds of dousands a year as Spain created more new jobs dan de rest of Eurozone combined.[citation needed] Awong wif de property boom, dere was a rapid expansion of service industry jobs.

Due to its own economic devewopment and de EU enwargements up to 27 members (2007), Spain as a whowe exceeded (105%) de average of de EU GDP in 2006 pwacing it ahead of Itawy (103% for 2006). As for de extremes widin Spain, dree regions in 2005 were incwuded in de weading EU group exceeding 125% of de GDP average wevew (Madrid, Navarre and de Basqwe Autonomous Community) and one was at de 85% wevew (Extremadura).[8] These same regions were on de brink of fuww empwoyment by den, uh-hah-hah-hah.

According to de growf rates post 2006, noticeabwe progress from dese figures happened untiw earwy 2008, when de Spanish economy was heaviwy affected by de puncturing of its property bubbwe by de gwobaw financiaw crisis.[9]

In dis regard, according to Eurostat's estimates for 2007 GDP per capita for de EU-27. Spain happened to stay by dat time at 107% of de wevew, weww above Itawy who was stiww above de average (101%), and catching up wif countries wike France (111%).[10]

In 2008, de shockwaves of de gwobaw financiaw crisis punctured de Spanish property bubbwe, causing a property crash. Construction cowwapsed and unempwoyment began to rise. The property crash wed to a cowwapse of credit as banks hit by bad debts cut back wending, causing a recession, uh-hah-hah-hah. As de economy shrank, government revenue cowwapsed and government debt began to cwimb rapidwy. By de 2010 de country faced severe financiaw probwems and got caught up in de European sovereign debt crisis.

Mariano Rajoy's government received an ECB bank baiwout whiwe stepping up austerity

In 2012, unempwoyment rose to a record high of 25 percent.[12] On 25 May 2012, Bankia, at dat time de fourf wargest bank of Spain wif 12 miwwion customers, reqwested a baiwout of €19 biwwion, de wargest bank baiwout in de nation's history.[13][14] The new management, wed by José Ignacio Goirigowzarri reported wosses before taxes of 4.3 biwwion euros (2.98 biwwions euros taking into account a fiscaw credit) compared to a profit of 328 miwwion euros reported when Rodrigo Rato was at de head of Bankia untiw May 9, 2012.[15] On June 9, 2012, Spain asked Eurozone governments for a baiwout worf as much as 100 biwwion euros ($125 biwwion) to rescue its banking system as de country became de biggest euro economy untiw dat date, after Irewand, Greece and Portugaw, to seek internationaw aid due to its weaknesses amid de European sovereign debt crisis.[16] A Eurozone officiaw towd Reuters in Juwy 2012 dat Spain conceded for de first time at a meeting between Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos and his German counterpart Wowfgang Schaeubwe, it might need a baiwout worf 300 biwwion euros if its borrowing costs remained unsustainabwy high. On August 23, 2012, Reuters reported dat Spain was negotiating wif euro zone partners over conditions for aid to bring down its borrowing costs.[17]

After serious austerity measures and major reforms into de economy Spain exited recession in 2013 and its economy is growing once more at a rate of 2.5 in 2015 and it is onwy expected to improve over de coming years. Awdough jobs are starting to be created de unempwoyment stiww stands at 22.6% in Apriw 2015.[18]

In 2014, after years of economic recession, Spain grew up a 1,4%,[19] accewerating to 3.4% in 2015 and 3.3% in 2016[20][21] and moderating by 3.1% in 2017.[22][23] Experts say dat de economy wiww moderate in 2018 to stabwe growf of between 2.5% and 3%. In addition to dis, de unempwoyment rate has been reduced during de years of recovery, standing at 16.55% in 2017.[24]